Man Who Sent Facebook Message About Campus Rape Pleads Guilty A man has pleaded guilty to sending a threatening Facebook message related to a campus rape case, bringing a measure of closure to a disturbing incident that sparked outrage and fear within the university community. [Name of the man], [age], entered his plea on [date] in [Court name] to charges of [specific charges, e.g., cyberstalking, harassment, making terroristic threats]. The charges stem from a message he sent on [date of message] to [recipient, e.g., the victim, a witness, a university official] regarding the highly publicized rape case of [Victim's name, if public, otherwise omit or use a pseudonym like "Jane Doe"]. The content of the message, while not fully disclosed publicly due to ongoing concerns about protecting the victim’s identity and the integrity of the case, was reportedly [brief, neutral description of message's threatening nature, e.g., "threatening in nature," "contained violent imagery," "suggested retribution"]. The message caused significant distress and prompted immediate action from university authorities and law enforcement. [Details about the investigation and arrest can be included here, e.g., "Following a thorough investigation by campus police and the local sheriff's department, [Name of the man] was apprehended on [date of arrest]."] The guilty plea avoids a potentially lengthy and difficult trial, offering a quicker resolution for all involved. [Mention sentencing details if available, e.g., "He is scheduled to be sentenced on [date], and faces a maximum sentence of [number] years in prison and a fine of [amount]."] The case has highlighted the ongoing issue of online harassment and the need for robust measures to protect victims of sexual assault, as well as the broader university community, from online threats and intimidation. [Optional: Add a quote from a university official, victim advocate, or prosecutor regarding the outcome and its significance. Focus on responsible and sensitive reporting, avoiding victim-blaming or sensationalism.] The judge's decision and the subsequent sentencing are expected to be closely watched, given the high-profile nature of the case and the ongoing debate about online safety and accountability.
An American man a fellow Pennsylvania college student in 2013 and later sending her a Facebook message that said "So I raped you" has pleaded guilty months after being extradited from France to face the allegations.
Ian Cleary, 32, who was raised in Silicon Valley before attending Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania, had hired a private lawyer to review the evidence as he considered a potential plea.
Judge Kevin Hess set an Oct. 20 sentencing date. The two sides proposed a four- to eight-year sentence, which the judge can accept or not.
Accuser Shannon Keeler, in with The Associated Press, described her decade-long efforts to persuade authorities to pursue charges, starting hours after she says Cleary, then a third-year student, sneaked into her first-year dorm on the eve of winter break.
She renewed the quest in 2021, after finding a series of disturbing from his account that said, "So I raped you." Keeler faced Cleary in the courtroom Thursday for the first time since the attack. She clutched her husband's hand as Cleary entered the courtroom in handcuffs and listened stoically as he gave brief answers to the judge's questions.
Cleary has been in custody on minor, unrelated charges in Metz, France, in April 2024. A defense lawyer told the judge Thursday that Cleary experienced several mental health episodes there and was hospitalized around the time he sent the Facebook message in 2019.
The second-degree sexual assault charge carries a maximum of 10 years in prison. His family members have declined to comment on the case and have not attended his court hearings.
Cleary, who grew up in Saratoga, California, left Gettysburg after the assault and finished college near home. He then got a master's degree and worked for Tesla before moving overseas, where he spent time writing medieval fiction, according to his online posts.
The AP published an investigation on the case and on the broader reluctance among prosecutors to pursue campus sex assault charges in May 2021. An indictment followed weeks later.
Authorities in the U.S. and Europe had been trying to track Cleary down in France.
The AP typically does not name people who say they have been sexually assaulted unless they come forward publicly, as Keeler has done.
